Upon hearing the hoarse voice, Haruto finally processed what had just happened. At that moment, he found that creepy blue-eyed boy staring at him as if he were a predator eyeing its prey—a look that only a homicidal madman could have. An overwhelming chill of pure terror ran through his body, weakening his legs and causing him to collapse to the ground.
""Kai!""
Seeing Kai regain consciousness, Yumiko and Keiko exclaimed in unison, jumping forward to embrace him. Simultaneously, Salem roared joyfully at full strength before shrinking back into his small form, dramatically changing his 'voice' from a powerful roar to an adorable meow. Salem then jumped and landed atop his master's head.
"Kai, thank goodness you're awake; we were so scared…"
As Yumiko embraced Kai tightly from behind, she spoke with a tearful voice filled with relief and happiness, a stark contrast to her earlier cold demeanor. At the same moment, Keiko, who was hugging Kai from the front, burst into tears while speaking with immense joy.
"Thank God you're alright... Please don't do something so reckless again. I wouldn't know what to do if you were gone..."
"I'm sorry... this time it was entirely my fault…"
Being hugged by the pair of beautiful women, Kai could only mutter quietly, filled with guilt. Meanwhile, Haruto watched the scene, completely stunned. Though he couldn't fully understand what was happening, uncontrollable rage clouded his mind. After all, his "scantily clad wife" was tightly embracing a half-naked man, prompting him to scream furiously.
"Yumiko!!! What the hell is this supposed to mean?!!!"
"Shut up, rat. You speak only when I allow it."
Upon hearing the angry scream, Kai turned sharply to face Haruto with a murderous glare, speaking with a cold tone dripping with deadly intent. At the same time, he released his Conqueror's Haki at low intensity, causing the air itself to tremble. Instantly, the color drained from the faces not only of Haruto but also of the guards, who quickly stepped back, visibly frightened.
For their part, Yumiko and Keiko couldn't help but press their bodies tightly against Kai's. That overwhelming presence of his somehow made them feel incredibly safe—filled with peace and calm—as if now that he was here, everything was fine, and there was nothing to worry about. The feeling hit Yumiko especially hard, and she couldn't help but shift her head slightly to look forward.
Seeing her 'husband'—or rather, the pathetic excuse for a man in front of her—sitting pitifully on the floor, his expensive suit disheveled, drenched in sweat, and completely pale, Yumiko couldn't stop herself from internally criticizing her life choices and her taste in men when she was younger. How could she have fallen in love with someone like that? With that weak little thing who couldn't even hold Kai's gaze, much less respond to him, just sitting there in silence like the coward he was.
Her mother had definitely been right—she never should have gotten involved with that wretch. Her youthful rebellion had truly blinded her. And while it was a shame that her mother had passed without ever receiving the apology she deserved, at least that wretch did one thing right besides giving her their beloved daughter: doing something so utterly despicable that it tore the blindfold from her eyes and allowed her to see him for what he truly was—a spineless, treacherous rat.
"That said, what's this rat doing here? Where did he get the courage?"
After silencing the rat's squeals, Kai glanced over his shoulder at Yumiko behind him, then down at Keiko in his arms, asking the question with a hint of confusion. Yumiko responded in a calm voice, clearly much more relaxed, as if just minutes ago she hadn't been clenching her teeth in anger.
"He's probably here for the designs for the next collection I didn't send him. Since I've been ignoring his calls, he must've thought you weren't around and came to try and persuade me."
"Oh, that makes sense."
Kai nodded in understanding as he looked at Yumiko, while Haruto—still on the floor—stared at his 'wife' in stunned silence, torn between fear and shock that she had so accurately deduced his intentions. At that moment, Kai turned back to Yumiko with a calm, though unmistakably suggestive, tone and asked.
"And what do you want to do with him? A few days ago, Salem was digging a big hole in the back forest… and I still haven't filled it in."
"Fufufu, that won't be necessary. At first, I just wanted to see for myself the kind of trash I married…"
Understanding what Kai was suggesting, Yumiko couldn't help but laugh amusedly. She then let go of Kai and stood by his side, looking at Haruto. But upon seeing him trembling like jelly in pure terror, she quickly added in a casual tone.
"But that's no longer necessary. And Haruto—"
Upon hearing his name, Haruto quickly looked up to meet Yumiko's calm, indifferent gaze. He wanted to say something but was too terrified to speak. At that moment, the beautiful blue-haired woman spoke with a firm, confident tone, filled with absolute certainty. She crossed her arms beneath her large chest, causing her oversized shirt to subtly reveal her incredibly slim waist.
"I'm not playing this game with you anymore. I know everything. I know you're in a relationship with your assistant, that you're expecting a child, and that right now that bitch is practically owns my company—the company that cost me a lifetime to build.
"But I swear you won't get a single pencil from what's mine. So, I'm giving you two options: take a million dollars and run off with your slut to a place where I'll never see either of you again, or I'll use everything in my power to destroy you. You have one week to decide."
"It's not what you thi—"
Hearing Yumiko's declaration, Haruto felt like the world was collapsing on top of him, to the point where he felt dizzy. He tried to speak, but the words caught in his throat with just one look from the blue-eyed boy, who seemed almost as if he were waiting for the slightest excuse to get rid of him—plunging Haruto further into despair.
He wanted to scream that things weren't how she thought, that even though the company was indeed under a provisional embargo from a company registered under Aiko's name, they never actually intended to steal anything. That move had only been a desperate measure to protect the company from the banks and creditors. He just hid it because he didn't want to face his own mistakes.
Moreover, the reason Aiko was the legal owner of that company was because she was, in truth, the most steadfast, righteous, and capable woman he had ever known—without a doubt, the person he trusted most in the entire world, above anyone else. That's why, when everything came crashing down, he didn't hesitate for even a second in choosing her to carry out the lien. And it had been a whole odyssey to convince her, as her principles wouldn't allow it. She had only agreed to it because of her love for him.
Meanwhile, Yumiko, upon seeing the expression of desperation on Haruto's face—clearly dying to say something but too much of a coward to actually do it—felt a bit curious about what he might want to say. She turned to look at her Kai and commented with a calm smile, though a hint of pride could be heard in her voice, something Keiko quickly picked up on, unable to hold back a knowing, amused laugh.
"Kai, let him speak a little. I'm curious what kind of nonsense he'll come up with."
"If you say so."
Kai responded calmly, while Keiko turned to face forward, resting her head against Kai's firm chest and pulling his hands around her to hug her from behind, placing them gently over her flat stomach. She wore a beautiful smile, like a teenage girl proudly showing off her boyfriend. At that moment, Kai looked coldly at Haruto and gave a sharp command in a chilling tone.
"Speak—but choose your words very carefully."
Haruto, for his part, looked at the great Keiko Yaoyorozu being so intimate with that creepy boy, completely stunned—unable to believe what he was seeing. The sight inevitably brought terrifying images to his mind involving his wife, that supposedly cold and dangerous black-haired woman, and that disturbing boy, filling him with rage—though there was a hint of envy mixed in. But before he could dwell on it, the creepy boy's words struck him like daggers.
Though he felt incredibly angry and humiliated like never before in his life, Haruto decided to focus on explaining things before anything else—because, in truth, things weren't how Yumiko imagined them. So after standing up, he adjusted his suit jacket and slicked his hair back, then began speaking in a serious and firm tone.
"Yumiko, it's not what you think. I don't know how you found out about all of this, but since you know already, there's no point in hiding it anymore. It's true that the company is currently under a provisional embargo, but it's not because I'm trying to steal it or anything like that. It's actually a protective measure to stop the banks and creditors from tearing apart the company we worked so hard to build!"
"What company? You mean, the one you tore to shreds in just a couple of years by stupidly increasing production despite all the warnings I gave you? Or, better yet, the one you handed over on a silver platter to your pregnant whore?"
Yumiko quickly shot back, her voice laced with mockery as she watched her ex-husband try to appear composed after revealing his pathetic and cowardly true self just moments ago. Her words made Haruto grimace bitterly, and he couldn't help but snap back with a touch of anger in his tone.
"I know I made mistakes. My arrogance blinded me. But I won't let you keep talking about Aiko that way! She's the most upright, pure, and trustworthy woman I've ever known in my life!"
"Oh, yes, so upright and pure that she let herself get pregnant by a married man, falsified reports for the board of directors to cover up the disaster caused by your decisions, and is currently involved in a multi-million-dollar fraud—one of the biggest this country has seen in recent history. Truly, there are very few women left as 'honorable' as her."
Yumiko replied, full of scorn and a trace of anger, which left Haruto speechless for a moment—he had nothing to refute her with. After all, everything she'd said was true. But even so, he quickly snapped back, consumed by rage—he wasn't about to let anyone insult his Aiko.
"You don't know how things really happened!!!"
With his scream, Haruto was suddenly hit by an overwhelming pressure that made him stumble backward. But still blinded by rage, he quickly turned to face the blue-eyed boy, who was still holding Keiko in his arms and looking at him like he was a piece of garbage. For some reason, that gaze filled Haruto with just enough courage to shout at him with all his strength.
"Go to hell, you creepy brat!!! You think you're so impressive?!!! Do you really think I'm afraid of you?!!! Then try to kill me!!! I want to see how brave you really are!!!! I want to see if you have the guts to kill one of the most important businessmen in this country!!!!!"
"Wait—"
"Ka—"
Surprised by Haruto's sudden outburst, both Keiko and Yumiko quickly turned to look at Kai, their faces filled with panic. At that moment, they saw his expression darken rapidly, and fearing what might happen next, they both instinctively tried to hold him back as they called out to him in unison. But their words were cut short—because in the blink of an eye, he vanished from where he stood.
***
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